Eco-cleaning parties spread word

By now, the green-living movement has trickled into just about every nook of the mainstream culture. It was only a matter of time, then, before eco-consciousness had its way, too, with Tupperware-style parties and their female bonding.

There's one difference: at these parties, no one is trying to sell anything. And instead of leaving with buyer's remorse, organizers say, attendees are going home with important information that could help them create safer, healthier home environments.

Launched officially in March, Green Cleaning Parties are planned in more than 100 communities across the country, aiming to educate people about the toxins in common cleaning products and offer homemade alternatives composed of common pantry items such as olive oil, vinegar and baking soda.

"Unfortunately, we know that women still do a majority of the household cleaning," says Alexandra Gorman Scranton, director of science and research for Women's Voices for the Earth, the national environmental group behind the cleaning parties.

In fact, about 70 percent of housework in the average home is done by women, with about 90 percent of maids and housekeepers being female, the organization reports.

"Yet we realized a lot of women never really thought about the chemicals that are in those cleaning products," says Scranton. "A lot of people are saying these [home-made mixtures] are the cleaners my grandmother used. They worked then, and it turns out they work now."

Women need alternatives to chemicals that have been linked to asthma and reproductive and developmental health problems, she said. Though the effect of long-term exposure needs more research, the organization believes there is enough evidence for valid concern. It also aims to empower women to become advocates for more research and regulation of these chemicals, some of which aren't even listed on product labels.

About 70 percent of streams tested nationwide in 2002 showed traces of detergents, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two out of three streams had traces of disinfectants.

No comprehensive tests have been done of long-term exposure, but studies suggest there are risks to human health.